Pink Ballet Pumps and Pinky Promises
by VerityFrancesB
Summary: Sequel to Of Princess Cupcakes and Permanence. Talia Hale junior is a little more grown up and has her daddy's temper. Sterek


"Talia Hale, get your skinny little butt down here," Stiles shouts up the stairs. Derek's hiding a grin behind his hand, leaning against the door frame that leads to the sitting room in the newly refurbished Hale house. Derek finished it off a couple of months ago and if Stiles breathes in deep enough he can still smell the fresh paint.

Derek pushes himself off from the doorframe and stalks across to Stiles. It still takes his breath away, even five years down the line, Stiles can't quite believe that he's with Derek, he can't quite believe that they have this life, him, Derek and Talia. Derek drops a kiss to Stiles's shoulder and wanders off into the kitchen.

"Hey…she's your daughter…come back here," Derek grins over his shoulder and shrugs.

"It's your favourite book she scribbled on," Stiles glares at him…his…boyfriend? Partner? Mate? They still, after all this time, haven't really put a name to what they are to each other but it doesn't matter, there is no need for names, for labels, because they both know what they mean to each other, and they both know the things they would do to protect their little family.

Apart from right now because Stiles is pissed, a little amused, but mostly pissed because 6 year old Talia Hale has scribbled "poo poo head" across the inside front page of Stiles's favourite tome. He would laugh if he wasn't so angry right now because he thought he taught Talia the preciousness of books.

Talia appears, her head popping around the corner of the wall upstairs, just her head and a few fingers and she's grimacing slightly, one pigtail swinging over her shoulder.

"I love you," she says, going for sweet and innocent and Stiles glares even more as Derek snorts from the kitchen.

"No you don't young lady, don't give me that, come down here," Talia pouts and appears completely around the corner, she hangs her head in the perfect example of a sorry child but Stiles knows better.

"Where's daddy?" She asks, her pigtails swinging again as she looks around the empty hallway. Derek's usually the one who diffuses these situations. In other words, Derek's the pushover and Stiles is unfortunately the one who has to lay down the law every now and then.

"Just you and me," Talia looks up at him, her big dark eyes brimming with tears. "Don't even think about starting with those crocodile tears…in there…" he points towards the sitting room and Talia huffs and stomps off towards the doorway. Derek pokes his head out from the kitchen and grins. Stiles glares at him. "You know," he says, stalking towards Derek, "just once it might be nice if I wasn't the bad guy," Derek tugs him close, one hand flat against Stiles's back and kisses him soundly.

"She still loves you more," Derek says and nips at the tip of Stiles's nose.

"That's because I have a great butt," he replies as Derek slides his hand to the curve of Stiles's ass. Derek snorts out a laugh, one that Stiles has heard more and more from Derek over the past five years, it's a noise he's so very used to now.

"I don't think she cares about your butt," Derek says and kisses the tip of his nose again. He lets Stiles go. "Go be the bad guy." Stiles groans and turns and Derek slaps his ass once. He's rubbing at it when he walks back into the sitting room and Talia is sitting there with the book across her tiny knees. She sees Stiles and puts the book next to her gently before standing and flinging herself at Stiles.

"I'm sorry," she cries, and buries her face into Stiles's neck when he manages to crouch on the floor in front of her. "I'm sorry, Stiles, I…" she sobs, tears seeping in through Stiles's t-shirt. Stiles, all good intentions melting away the more the tiny girl cries in his arms, sighs and holds her close.

"It's ok Princess," he says and Talia sniffs noisly in his ear. "Gross…" Talia giggles through her tears and pushes herself off Stiles. She runs a hand under her nose.

"I really am sorry…I didn't mean to," she looks down at the little pink ballet shoes Lydia bought her recently, the tiny pink bows on the toes are studded with a Swarovski crystal and they're probably worth more than anything Stiles owns.

"You did mean to," Stiles says and sits on the couch, he pulls her into his lap and Derek appears in the doorway. Talia leans back against him as Stiles lifts the book into her lap. It's a big leather bound early (or early for them at least, it relatively late in the grand scheme of things) edition of Nicholas Culpepper's The Complete Herbal, first publish in 1653. This one is from 1892 and Deaton gave it to him for his 21st birthday.

"Uncle Deaton gave it to me," Stiles chokes slightly on Alan's name. Of all the things they've been through, Deaton gets taken from by a simple car accident, a drunk driver slamming into the side of his car a year ago. Scott had been devastated and Stiles had been left knowing half of what he needed to. Derek sits next to him and leans slightly into him, offering silent support like he always does.

"You were mean," Talia says and Stiles widens his fingers where they're pressed to the couch between him and Derek and Derek slides his own between them.

"I wasn't mean," he replies and Talia wiggles but stays in his lap, she shifts and turns to face Derek, her little hand pressed to Stiles's chest. "Just because I wouldn't let you eat poptarts for lunch doesn't make me mean," Derek huffs out a laugh softly and tightens his grip on Stiles's hand. "And just because you're mad at me doesn't mean you can ruin my things," he says and Talia sits up and frowns down at him. She points across at Derek.

"Daddy does," Derek splutters and Stiles hides a smile and he can feel his nostril flaring with the need to laugh.

"Daddy destroys his own things when he's mad at me," Stiles thinks back to Derek putting his fist through the front door last year when Stiles had been hurt fighting off a bunch of Omegas that had roamed into Beacon Hills. He'd been so angry at Stiles for putting himself in danger and he's struck out. "But that's because your daddy is bullheaded and grumpy."

"Hey!" Talia laughs and wipes at her cheeks with her small hands. The pink nail polish Lydia painted on her nails two days ago is chipped and Stiles really needs to talk to Lydia about how much pink is in this house soon.

"Ok so lets hug it out and remember to never ruin things that aren't our own just because we're mad…ok?" Talia nods and throws her arms around Stiles neck again. She kisses his cheek and Derek pulls them both to him, Talia squirms and giggles when Derek kisses Stiles himself.

"Friends?" Talia holds out her hand with her little finger extended. Stiles nods and curls his own pinky around hers.

"Friends."

"Can I have poptarts for tea?"


End file.
